Good morning. Thank you, Chairman Obernolte, for convening today’s hearing. I also want to thank our expert panel of witnesses for their participation.
Today's discussion presents us with a critical opportunity to examine the impact of DeepSeek's artificial intelligence models on America's technological leadership, innovation ecosystem, and national security.
DeepSeek serves as a significant wake-up call. On the day of President Trump’s second inauguration, this Chinese-owned company released its R1 model, which quickly surpassed ChatGPT to become the top-rated free application in U.S. app stores.
The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) presents a formidable and growing strategic challenge to our technological leadership. We know the CCP is aggressively pursuing plans to dominate next-generation technology, including through the theft of our research, innovations, and sensitive data.
Supporting DeepSeek is part of their plan. In fact, several U.S. government agencies, such as NASA and the U.S. Navy, have banned DeepSeek on federal devices because of its serious data privacy concerns.
The emergence of DeepSeek is particularly troubling given reports that it developed these models using American advanced semiconductor chips, including ones that the Department of Commerce banned from being sold to Chinese entities.
However, what's more alarming is that without U.S. leadership in open-weight models, DeepSeek could become the foundation for global AI applications that promote CCP values and potentially contain hidden vulnerabilities. If the United States cedes leadership in AI to the CCP, we risk not only our economic future but also our national security.
The development and deployment of critical technologies, such as AI, quantum, and advanced semiconductors, could be compromised by the values of the CCP, resulting in a failure to uphold American ideals of fairness and transparency.
But let's be clear: we cannot surpass China by imitating its approach. We must build systems that promote coordination and cooperation across the entire U.S. science and technology enterprise, both public and private, while leveraging the benefits of the free market.
We should continue to follow the recipe for success that led to American leadership in other emerging technologies like information technology, quantum, biotech, space, and energy.
This includes tearing down government barriers to private sector innovation, lowering taxes, protecting private property, reducing energy costs, and leveraging standards and best practices rather than aggressive regulations and market-corrupting subsidies. America's strength has always been our innovative spirit, our entrepreneurial drive, and our commitment to individual liberty.
The Trump Administration acknowledged this fundamental truth in a January executive order, which stated that the policy of the United States is "to sustain and enhance America's global AI dominance in order to promote human flourishing, economic competitiveness, and national security."
This approach underscores the significance of American leadership without unnecessary government intervention. We’ve already seen progress in this direction with the announcement of the Stargate Project and the proliferation of “little tech” investments by the private sector.
These trends build upon the substantial advantage we have as a nation. We have robust capital markets, innovative companies, cutting-edge research institutions, and bountiful natural resources that fuel our emerging technology enterprise. But DeepSeek is a reminder that we must be vigilant and not take our leadership for granted.
Evaluating the capabilities of Chinese models is critical to understanding the competitive landscape, maintaining our technological advantage, and assessing the risks they pose to national security. How we respond to challenges like DeepSeek will determine whether the United States continues to lead the world in AI or whether we allow the CCP to overtake us.
I look forward to hearing from our witnesses about DeepSeek's models and how the U.S. public and private sectors can accelerate American AI leadership into the future.
Thank you, and I yield back the balance of my time.